Death sentences
Archive theme
A death sentence is not the same thing as an execution: years can pass between the two, and the sentence may be overturned on appeal, commuted, or never carried out. Counting them separately measures two different things: how far a state resorts to capital punishment, and how far it actually applies it.
This page collects the news on death sentences handed down around the world, on the later stages of appeal, and on the sentences upheld or overturned. Executions have a page of their own.
Latest news
FEBRUARY 8, 2023BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE OVER DOWRY IN SATKHIRA
A Satkhira court on 5 February 2023 sentenced a man to death for killing his wife in 2014 for dowry.
FEBRUARY 7, 2023KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: FORMER POLICEMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
A Kenyan former policeman on 3 February 2023 was sentenced to death for the murder of a human rights lawyer, his client and a taxi driver.
FEBRUARY 7, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GORAKHNATH TEMPLE ATTACKER SENTENCED TO DEATH IN UP
A special court in Lucknow on 30 January 2023 awarded the death penalty to a man who was booked for waging war against the government after he assaulted a Uttar Pradesh armed police force's jawan at the Gorakhnath temple.
FEBRUARY 6, 2023NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: TWO OFFICERS OF DISBANDED POLICE UNIT SENTENCED TO DEATH IN RIVERS STATE
Two former officers of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on 3 February 2023 were sentenced to death by hanging in Rivers state for the killing of Michael Akor and Michael Igwe, while in their custody.
FEBRUARY 6, 2023GuyanaDEATH PENALTYGUYANA COURT SENTENCES TWO PIRATES TO DEATH FOR 2018 ATTACK
A Guyanese court on 31 January 2023 handed down death sentences for two men found guilty of high seas piracy attacks that killed seven fishermen off the nation’s coast in 2018.
FEBRUARY 5, 2023Palestinian TerritoriesDEATH PENALTYGAZA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
The Supreme Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Gaza on 30 January 2023 sentenced a 30-year-old man to death by hanging, following his conviction for possession and trafficking of narcotics to Israel.
FEBRUARY 2, 2023TexasDEATH PENALTYUSA - Texas. Robert Satterfield sentenced to death
JANUARY 31, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, MURDER OF 9-YEAR-OLD
A 22-year-old man was sentenced to death on 30 January 2023 by a special court for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases in Vapi of Valsad district (Gujarat) for the rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in February 2020.
JANUARY 31, 2023BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH ARRESTS TWO FUGITIVES CONDEMNED TO DEATH FOR WAR CRIMES
The Rapid Action Battalion has arrested two fugitives who were handed the death sentence for committing crimes against humanity in Mymensingh during the Liberation War.
JANUARY 30, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 165 SENTENCED TO DEATH IN 2022, HIGHEST IN 2 DECADES
Trial courts in India sentenced 165 people to death in 2022, the highest in a year in the last two decades. This is up from 146 prisoners who were sent to death row in 2021.
JANUARY 30, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GUJARAT MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING THREE FAMILY MEMBERS
A court in Gujarat's Banaskantha district on 25 January 2023 convicted the accused in a 2019 triple murder case - all the victims being members of his family - and sentenced him to death.
JANUARY 29, 2023IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 14 SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER CAMP SPEICHER MASSACRE
Iraq's judiciary has sentenced 14 people to death over the 2014 Camp Speicher massacre.
JANUARY 29, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN ANDHRA PRADESH FOR RAPE-MURDER OF 7-YR-OLD GIRL
A court in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on 25 January 2023 awarded death sentence to a man for raping and killing his relative, a seven-year-old girl in July 2021.
- JANUARY 26, 2023MaliDEATH PENALTY
MALI: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER U.N. PEACEKEEPER DEATHS
A court in Mali has sentenced a man to death over a 2019 attack that killed three United Nations peacekeepers, the peacekeeping mission MINUSMA said on 25 January 2023 without naming the defendant.
JANUARY 26, 2023North CarolinaDEATH PENALTYUSA - North Carolina. James McKamey sentenced to death
JANUARY 25, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 18 year-old Protester Shoaib Mir Baluchzehi Rigi sentenced to death
JANUARY 25, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Kurdish Pregnant Inmate Shahla Abdi Faces
A protester arrested in October
JANUARY 25, 2023KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: 43% OF PRISONERS ON DEATH ROW DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING DURING TRIAL - REPORT
Fourty-three per cent of inmates on death row did not understand what was happening during their trial. This is according to a report launched on 24 January 2023 by the Death Penalty Project, in partnership with Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
JANUARY 24, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Protester Kambiz Kharoot, 20, sentenced to death
- JANUARY 24, 2023BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: SON AMONG SEVEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR HOUSEWIFE'S MURDER IN NOAKHALI
A court has handed down the death penalty to seven people for the murder of a woman in Noakhali in 2020. One of the convicts is the victim's son.
- JANUARY 23, 2023BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: 6 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IN MYMENSINGH
The International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced six people to death in Mymensingh's Trishal upazila for committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
JANUARY 23, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Protester Ebrahim Narouei sentenced to death
JANUARY 23, 2023FloridaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Florida. Steven Wolf sentenced to death
JANUARY 19, 2023SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: TWO AL SHABAAB MILITANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING POLICE OFFICER
Two Al Shabaab members were sentenced to death on 17 January 2023 in Somalia for their role in the October 2022 murder of a government security official.
JANUARY 19, 2023SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES AL-SHABAAB 'DOCTOR’ ABDI JIROW TO DEATH
A Somali court on 19 January 2023 sentenced a top operative of Al-Shabaab to death, dealing another blow to the terror group that has recently been chased out of most towns.
JANUARY 19, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Protester Arshia Takdastan, 18, Sentenced to Death
JANUARY 19, 2023PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MAN AWARDED DEATH PENALTY FOR HONOUR KILLINGS
A Khyber court on 19 January 2023 convicted a resident of killing his sister and another person in the name of family honour and sentenced him to death.
JANUARY 19, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Death sentence to mentally ill protester
Javad Rouhi, over alleged Qur’an burning
JANUARY 17, 2023NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: VULCANIZER SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING FOR ROBBING NURSE
A 32-year-old vulcanizer, Chidozie Onyinchiz, on 17 January 2023 was sentenced to death by hanging by an Ikeja Special Offences Court, presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada.
- JANUARY 17, 2023NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: COURT SENTENCES 4 TO DEATH BY HANGING IN OSUN
An Osun High Court sitting in Osogbo, on 16 January 2023 sentenced four persons to death by hanging for murder and other related offences.